Aarti Sequeira

Born in India, raised in Dubai and now living in Los Angeles, Aarti cooks comforting food with a little exotic flair: "I play around with Indian flavors and figure out how to add them to American classics, to add an element of surprise and freshness!"

Alexis Hernandez

Alexis runs a 65-acre Indiana farm and has a passion for Alton Brown-style food science. His cooking style? “Bohemian and electric. I create new flavor pairings that would not normally be paired together.”

Aria Kagan

Aria grew up around food, working in the cafe her parents owned. "When I was 17, my mom took me to my first farmer's market...My life was forever changed!" Her love of cooking led her to culinary school and she now works as a private chef.

Brad Sorenson

At 24, Brad is this season's youngest competitor. But the Culinary Institute of America grad is no novice in the kitchen: When he was 22, he landed his first executive chef job. He hopes to break down the wall between professional chefs and home cooks: "I love cooking even when it’s not for work."

Darrell "DAS" Smith

Darrell (better known by his initials, DAS) teaches cooking to high schoolers. His goal is to reach young urban kids through this competition: "I’ve learned that food is vital, not only to life but to dealing with adversities in life."

Doreen Fang

Doreen owns her own catering company and teaches cooking classes to kids and adults. Her favorite cuisines include Chinese and Japanese, but she's also a cheese fanatic: "Anything from simple cheddar cheese, to movie nacho cheese, to creamy epoisses or buttery brillat savarin! I can't live without cheese!"

Serena Palumbo

Italian-born Serena now lives in New York City, where she's a lawyer by day and an avid home cook after hours. She describes her style as homespun Italian with a bent towards healthier: "Out with the butter, in with the EVOO!"

Tom Pizzica

Since graduating from culinary school, Tom has worked in several professional kitchens including his parents' hotel in Maryland. "I believe I have the chops, the imagination and the humor to get millions of people to stop fearing the kitchen and be bold in it."